Contents

Plot

A new Search and Rescue Centre is being built on the Island of Sodor as a base of operations for Harold, Rocky, and a new lifeboat named Captain. Special, strong, deep, red Jobi wood, from Hiro's homeland (Japan), is being used to make the Centre. All the engines are very excited and all want to help deliver the Jobi wood to the Rescue Centre. Frustrated at being teased by Thomas for not being a steam engine, Diesel decides to prove his superiority over the steam engines by taking the Jobi wood to the Rescue Centre himself and races down the tracks. Thomas sees that Diesel is going too fast and chases after him. The chase results in an exciting rescue as Thomas saves Diesel from falling over the edge of the unfinished bridge overlooking the Rescue Centre, but the Jobi wood crashes into the sea below. Now there is no wood to build the Rescue Centre.

As a reward for his daring rescue, Thomas is allowed to visit a Search and Rescue Centre on the Mainland. He is then told there is no room on the steam boat, but Thomas asks to be carried on a raft behind the boat. Thomas waves goodbye to his friends at Brendam Docks and heads across the sea to the mainland. That night the raft carrying Thomas becomes separated from the steam boat and Thomas ends up alone and stranded on the mysterious Misty Island - a wild and wonderful island with a multitude of secret hideouts, rickety tracks, and bridges. Thomas discovers that the island has its own railway and meets the three engines, known as the "Logging Locos", who run it - Ferdinand, and two small twin engines named Bash and Dash, who were sent to the island after causing trouble on the mainland. Thomas also finds that Misty Island has plentiful supplies of the rare Jobi wood. With the help of his new friends, Thomas attempts to find his way back to Sodor and uncovers more of Misty Island's mysteries - including a tunnel that connects the two islands. Meanwhile, out at sea, Harold and Captain carry out a search party to look for Thomas as the Fat Controller rallies the engines to look for Thomas on Sodor.

Thomas decides to go through the tunnel back to Sodor, but he and the Logging Locos get trapped after the tunnel falls in. Thomas then tries the smoke signals Salty told him about. After being spotted by Percy, the Fat Controller, James, Edward, and Gordon sail to Misty Island in hopes of finding Thomas while Percy and Whiff go through the tunnel. They eventually come to the blockade, break through to Thomas, and they all puff back to Sodor. Thomas rushes back to Misty Island again to find the Fat Controller and the engines.

After the Logging Locos are given the Sodor treatment at the Steamworks, they help to build the Rescue Centre. They finish it in time and it is soon opened.

As the engines are laughing with their new friends at the Search and Rescue Centre, Diesel 10 rolls up on the mountain ledge, sniggers, and glares down at the engines remarking that they will laugh on the other side of their boilers soon.

The first special released on Blu-ray for the US and Australia. It was also originally released on Blu-ray in the UK in April 2011, but HiT cancelled the plans at the last minute.

Sharon Miller's first special as voice director and her only special as creative producer.

The first special to have a post-credits scene.

The first production to have Matt Wilkinson as part of the US voice cast.

This is the last special, narrated by Erik de Zwart in the Netherlands.

This special was shown in theatres in New Zealand.

This special was shown in select US, UK, and Australian theatres. It was also shown on many PBS stations a few weeks before its release in the US and later aired in the UK on Channel Five's Milkshake on Christmas Eve 2010 and then again on Easter Sunday 2011, with Diesel 10's scene omitted. It also aired on PBS Sprout on August 20th, 2011, in the UK on Nick Jr. on October 28th, 2012, and in Norway on TV 2 on December 29th, 2013, 3 January 2014, Easter 2014, and July 13th, 2014 on ABC4KIDS but when it aired the second time on the ABC which is October 26th 2014, Diesel 10's scene was omitted.

This marks Bash, Dash and Ferdinand's only appearances in a special. Currently, this is also Whiff's only speaking role in a special.

This special takes place between the thirteenth and fourteenth seasons.

When Sir Topham Hatt answers the phone in his office, a calendar can be seen behind him. It has a 2011 layout, the same year Day of the Diesels, the next special, was released. That also can indicate that the special can take place on 1960, since it has the same calendar layout.

Jobi is the Japanese word for birthday, so the name Jobi Wood could have been a reference to the 65th anniversary.

Goofs

Jules de Jongh is accidentally credited in the UK version despite not voicing any characters in that dub.

Early in the special, Harold is flying above Percy on his way to the Search and Rescue Centre. When Harold lands, however, Percy is nowhere to be seen.

While flying to the Search and Rescue Centre, Harold is shown from behind. Contrary to other appearances, his elevators have a pronounced anhedral deflection of about 20 degrees.

After saying that the logs are lost, Thomas says he feels badly, whereas he should have said that he feels bad.

When the other engines whistle goodbye to Thomas, Salty shuts his eyes like the rest of the engines as if he is honking his horn, but no horn is heard.

When the Fat Controller peers into the Misty Island tunnel, Whiff has no lamp. However in the next shot, he gains one.

When the engines whistle at Tidmouth Sheds, Emily has Rosie's whistle sound.

During the night scene, the steam-boat's mast lights are backwards: the green light is for starboard (right) and the red light is for port (left).

When Thomas and the logging locos puff towards the tunnel, Thomas is pushing a flatbed of Jobi logs, but when they arrive at the tunnel's entrance, he is pulling it.

When Whiff and Percy enter the Misty Island Tunnel from Sodor to find Thomas, they are facing forwards, but when the engines start back to Sodor they have turned around and are facing forwards again.

In the UK narration, it is said that Thomas had to be coupled up to some "freight cars" of bricks. However, freight cars is an American term for trucks.

Approximately thirty-six piles of Jobi logs were on the steamboat, however only three are unloaded onto Diesel's train.